


All because of a mini garden

by Clarisse (transnymphtaire)



Series: Things I write when procrastinating [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, M/M, Pre-Slash, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-05-27 13:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6287266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transnymphtaire/pseuds/Clarisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I needed to get over a writers block, so I chose an AU from Tumblr.</p><p>A backyard is vandalized, and tears are shed, and in the middle of it all is Tom, Harry and a mini garden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ...I googled mini garden and got pictures of pots, some with cute houses, so that's what I went with.

Tom Riddle was not the sort of person that got drunk. He was the sort of person that managed to drink one, maybe two glasses of his chosen poison, and be content with it for the rest of the evening. With that in mind, he had no idea how he found himself in his current position.

Abraxas and Orion had talked him into coming with them to a club, he knew at least that much. Sometime after that, he must have gotten the wrong order, because that was the only reasonable excuse that he could come up with. Otherwise, he would never have agreed when Orion suggested to vandalize the Weasleys’ house.

The problem wasn’t that they got caught in the act, or that they were quite obviously drunk. The problem was that Orion had taken them to the wrong house, and that the owner of the backyard was _crying_. Tom sobered up instantly, if only to make clear that he had nothing to do with the idiots that called themselves his friends.

“I apologize for my friends’ behaviour. I tried to stop them, especially since they got the wrong house.” Tom said, his usual charming facade in place. He sent Abraxas and Orion a glare that got them to stammer out apologies before promptly leaving. Tom would have left himself, if not for one problem. The backyard’s owner was _still_ crying.

“May I inquire to why you’re crying? And perhaps, your name?” Tom asked and took a step closer. The porch light helped him see the stranger more clearly, and he was surprised to identify the person as male. He couldn’t guess an age, as the person was quite petite. As the teary, big emerald eyes turned to him, his breath hitched. Had he been one to believe in fairytales, he would have insisted that the stranger was of the fae folk.

“I’m Harry.” the boy - because surely, it couldn’t be a man - answered. “Your… _friends_ destroyed my mini garden.”

Tom glanced behind him. There was a collection of big pots near the garden furniture, and several of them were overturned. He could see some elaborate miniature buildings, and what he assumed to be a castle was smashed on the ground. From what he could see of what was left, the mini garden had taken a lot of dedication. Each pot seemed to be out of a fairy tale. He almost reconsidered if the boy was fae folk or not, before pushing the thought away as it was far from him to think such illogical things. He turned back to the boy.

“A pleasure to meet you, Harry, although I wish the circumstances would have been better. My name is Tom.” he answered, a small yet polite smile on his lips.

“Better circumstances indeed.” Harry muttered with a bitter smile. “I don’t assume you’re gonna offer to pay for the damage your friends made?” he asked, and dried away the stubborn tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

“I really do apologize, not only for their behaviour, but for upsetting you.” Tom said, and then paused. The easiest would be to give Harry some money and leave, but since when had he ever done things the easy way? “Perhaps I could help you fix your mini garden? Or at least save as much as possible… It’s late, and it wouldn’t feel right to leave you to do it on your own.”

“Be my guest.” Harry answered drily, and went to turn the pots right. Tom was quick to get into action and help.

Luckily, none of the pots had broken, although there was a quite obvious crack in one of them. They got them all back in place, so only a mess of earth, plants and the broken castle was left. There was likely some other decorative details there as well, but Tom hadn’t seen the mini garden before so he couldn’t know and it was hard to distinguish details when the porch light was the only lightsource. Together they started to sort out the castle pieces from the earth, since at least the earth could be scoped up and put back into a pot.

Tom glanced at Harry every now and then. The boy had dried tear tracks on his cheeks, and the emerald eyes were reddened, yet he didn’t seem fragile. Harry shone of inner strength and determination. Tom found himself falling slightly in love, even if he didn’t believe in such weak emotions. He never noticed that Harry glanced at him as well.

“You really didn’t have to.” Harry said a few hours later, when their pants and hands were covered in dirt and the mini garden was as good as it could be during the night.

“I wanted to.” Tom assured him, and took out his phone to check the time. The intense light from his screen made him squint until he made out 1:07 am. It was definitely later than he had expected, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret helping Harry. His only regret was that they hadn’t got the mini garden back to its former pride. The phone screen turned dark thanks to his inactivity, and he put it away.

“Thank you.” Harry said softly, and looked away from him. Tom wasn’t sure if the reddening to Harry’s cheeks were from the work they had done or a trick of the light - because surely it couldn’t be a blush.

“It was my fault to begin with, for not stopping it.” Tom answered. “You have your work cut out for you, even if I helped.”

Harry looked back towards the mini garden.  
“I really do, don’t I?” he asked rhetorically with a sigh. Tom smiled slightly. It was… _cute_.

“I could come back tomorrow.” He offered, before he was consciously aware of the words coming out of his mouth. He didn’t back on the offer though, even if he had surprised himself with it.

“I think I’d like that.” Harry answered softly, and gave a small yet sincere smile. Tom fell slightly more in love at the sight.

“Tomorrow then.” he said, meaning it as a farewell. Tom turned to leave, when a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to look inquiringly at Harry.

Harry rose so he was balancing on his toes, and pecked the corner of Tom’s mouth.

“Tomorrow.” Harry agreed and sunk back down on his feet before stepping back.

Tom was halfway out of the backyard before he realized he didn’t actually know the address and turned back. Harry was still standing under the porch light.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to find my way back tomorrow.” he said sheepishly. Harry gave a laugh, and it sounded like pearls of water and bells chiming all at once.

“Grimmauld place no. 12. You won’t miss it.” Harry promised.

“I’ll miss you.” Tom answered before he could swallow the words. They were cheesy, and they would scare Harry away, and he almost wished he was still drunk so that he could have an excuse for them.

“I think I’ll miss you too, but I can’t possibly know if you don’t leave.” Harry said, and gave a short laugh again.

Tom smiled softly, and left without another word. Perhaps he would have to thank Abraxas and Orion… if not for their idiocy, he would never have met Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm marking this as complete, but I might write more on it? It was cute, I liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave this AU alone.

Thanks to the unorthodox act of vandalization yesterday night and the meeting that had followed, Tom found himself standing on the doorstep to Grimmauld Place 12 at 10 am. He would actually have been there as early as 7 am if not for the simple fact that he didn’t actually know anything about Harry and it would likely not make him look any better to arrive that early. He hoped he had made something of a good expression yesterday, but it was better safe than sorry. As it was a Saturday, 10 am could still be seen as quite early. He couldn’t help himself, he was eager to see Harry again, and to get to know the boy.

Tom rang the doorbell and waited. He spent a few moments being anxious - what if Harry wasn’t home, what if someone else opened the door, what if Harry didn’t actually want his help, what if… He shook his head at his actions and made sure his usual mask was in face. There was nothing to be nervous about. Harry had stolen a piece of his heart yesterday, but Tom could live.

The door opened and Tom forgot how to breathe. Harry’s hair seemed even messier than yesterday, the vibrant green eyes were hidden behind a pair of round glasses, and Harry was wearing a too big sweater over a pair of boxers. If Tom had been a lesser man, he would have been extremely tempted to at the very least kiss Harry. Instead, he cleared his throat and gave a small smile.

“We never decided on a time. I can come back later if you prefer…” he offered.

“No, come in.” Harry said and stepped aside. “I was going to get dressed before you came, but I got an idea for one of the pots, and had to sketch out my idea before I did anything else.”

“Have you had a look at the mini garden in daylight?” Tom inquired as he stepped into the house. Harry closed the door while Tom looked around. He had expected a small apartment, not…  _ this _ . He entertained the thought that the house was bigger on the inside than the outside for a moment. There was a staircase leading up not only one floor, but three, making it a total of four floors. The hallway seemed to have a countless number of doors on each side. After his cursory glance, he looked back at Harry.

“Yes, I have. We managed to do a lot yesterday, but some plants needs repotting, and others have to be thrown away. It’s not that much work, so if you have anything better to do, you don’t have to help. Also, before you ask, no, I don’t live here alone.” Harry answered with a beaming smile. Tom felt doomed. If he didn’t want to lose his heart completely, he should leave _ now _ , but he couldn’t.

“I want to help.” Tom assured him. “If I may ask, who do you live with?”

“My godfather and his brother. I know, it’s a bit weird since we’re all adults, but here’s really big and I would feel so bad leaving them here on their own. My godfather is fiercely overprotective, and I can’t let his brother suffer all of it.” Harry explained, with laughter in his voice. “They’re not home though. They’re visiting relatives for a while.”

Tom filed away the information for later, and gave Harry an appreciative once-over.  
“Excuse me for my forwardness, but I believe some trousers would make garden work easier.”

“I believe you’re right, mister. Trousers, and perhaps lenses.” Harry answered, the laughter still in his voice. “Make yourself at home, and I’ll find you in a moment.” he added, and walked up the stairs. Tom couldn’t help himself, and looked appreciatively at Harry’s arse as the boy walked. He looked away first when he couldn’t see Harry any longer.

Not one to intrude, Tom waited awkwardly in the hallway until Harry came down again. This time, Harry was wearing a tight t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, and his glasses had been exchanged for lenses. Tom whistled under his breath. Those arms definitely had some muscle to them, and the jeans were  _ tight _ .

“May I be bold, and ask if you’re trying to seduce me?” Tom wondered. Harry laughed, and it still sounded as pearls of water and bells chiming.

“Are you always this forward, mister?”

“Tom.” he said, as a reminder. “Tom Riddle.” he then added, aware he never gave his full name yesterday.

“Are you always this forward,  _ Tom _ ?” Harry repeated.

“Only with you.” Tom promised. It was the truth.

“Oh, I’m sure you say that to all the boys.” Harry said with a laugh. “My full name is Harry Potter-Black.”

“Black?” Tom inquired, thinking about Orion. Potter was a very ordinary surname, but he only knew of one Black family in this part of England.

“My godfather adopted me, making me a Black.” Harry explained with a shrug. Tom nodded. He could always press Orion for details later, assuming that Orion knew anything.

“Shall we?” Tom asked. He would have gestured, but he didn’t know how to get to the backyard.

“We shall.” Harry agreed and lead the way through the hallway. Tom gave the paintings a cursory glance, but found his eyes drawn to Harry’s arse.

“I can feel you staring, you know.” Harry teased.

“And do you mind?” Tom asked, curious.

“Can’t say that I do.” Harry answered with a shrug. “As long as you don’t touch without permission.”

“I would never.” Tom said, appalled that Harry would think so lowly of him. That they were still basically strangers didn’t cross his mind.

“Such a gentleman.” Harry said, once again laughter in his voice. Tom wondered if the laughter ever left. He had seen Harry cry yesterday, and tóday the boy seemed to be happiness personified. No actually happy person could laugh so much. As he studied Harry’s face, he doubted that the boy was actually happy.

“Why do you garden?” Tom asked. Harry’s step faltered and he glanced at Tom.

“Gardening and cooking was the only light in the darkness before.” Harry answered cautiously. Tom didn’t press.

“I feel the same about reading.” he said instead, thinking back to his days at the orphanage. Harry hummed but didn’t say anything more. Tom let the silence settle, they were almost outside anyway.

Harry opened the door to the backyard and let Tom go out first. Tom flinched slightly when he saw the damage that Orion and Abraxas had managed yesterday. He had forgotten that it wasn’t only the mini garden.

“Don’t worry about it.” Harry said. “Help me repot those plants instead.”

They started to work in silence. Tom asked Harry for instructions once in awhile, but otherwise no words were shared. They shared plenty of touches and small smiles instead.

 

It was around noon that Harry sat back and looked over what they had done.

“Nothing more to do now, not without buying new plants and building the decorations. Do you want lunch?”

“If it’s no trouble.” Tom answered and sat back as well. “Have you built all the decorations yourself?”

“Yeah. Helps to use my hands doing something when I can’t sleep, and there’s only so many times I can spend the night baking without waking anyone.”

“You must have very skilled fingers.” Tom said, and rose gracefully from where he had been kneeling on the ground. Harry stood up as well.

“You have a very skilled tongue.” Harry said, and lead the way inside. They stopped to wash their hands in a bathroom before Harry showed the way to the kitchen.

Tom sat down by the table as Harry had refused his help.

“Do you have a habit of inviting strangers into your home?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Only the handsome ones.” Harry quipped. “But no, I do not. I would say that we’re more than strangers anyway. Acquaintances perhaps. Not sure if it fits when our interactions seem to consist mostly of flirting though…”

“I’ll stop if I’m making you uncomfortable. I’m not usually this… bold.” Tom said, somewhat awkwardly. Something about Harry made him feel out of his depth.

“Don’t.” Harry said, and if it was a bit choked up or too fast they didn’t mention it. “Always nice to know that you’re desirable, you know?” Harry added as a halfhearted joke. Neither of them smiled at it.

“You’re more than desirable.” Tom said as Harry put down a plate and a fork in front of him. It was a nice pasta salad.

“You’re very charming.” Harry answered, and sat down in front of him after serving them both a glass of orange juice.

“I try.” Tom joked with a small smile. Harry hummed, and they ate in silence. It didn’t feel as awkward as it could have. Tom rather enjoyed it, and Harry seemed to as well.

“I guess there’s no reason for me to stay if your garden is fixed…” Tom trailed off. He wanted to stay, but he couldn’t impose.

“We could make a date out of buying new plants.” Harry suggested. Tom almost choked on the air.

“A date? Yes. Lets.” he answered, embarrassed by how awkward his answer came out .Harry smiled at him and leant over the table to peck the corner of his mouth.

“You should let yourself get flustered more.” Harry teased.

“I’m sure you’re up for the challenge.” Tom answered.

They both laughed this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I might write more for this. It's not a priority though.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm procrastinating. I should be writing on The pet shop worker and the murderer.

Their date was less buying plants for Harry, and more Harry buying plants for Tom. It had started with Tom commenting on his apartment being quite empty, as he didn’t have a lot of personal things. He had a lot of books, but according to Harry that wasn’t enough. His apartment needed life.

That was why Tom was pushing a trolley full of different plants, while Harry was running back and forth looking for the perfect plants. Tom leant against the trolley as he waited, his face relaxed and a fond smile on his lips as he watched Harry. He found himself thinking that he could get used to this. Harry seemed to balance him out so perfectly already… false happiness where Tom masked his true feelings with a charming facade, light to fill Tom’s darkness, the life to his death. The Persephone to his Hades, perhaps.

“How long have you been dating?”

Tom turned his head slightly towards the speaker. It was an elder woman, who nodded towards Harry when she noticed that she had his attention.

“We’re not.” Tom answered, with a small smile. He looked back towards Harry, who was inspecting a purple orchid.

“Oh. My apologies.” the woman excused herself. “You should tell him that you love him.” she advised, and walked away. Tom turned to look after her, before scolding himself. He couldn’t possibly take her seriously. He had met Harry less than 24 hours ago. There was no love to speak of - yet. Soon probably, and it would still be far too soon, but not yet.

“What did she want?” Harry asked suddenly, popping up out of nowhere. Tom blinked. He hadn’t noticed Harry coming closer.

“To know how long we’ve been dating.” He answered, seeing no reason to lie.

“What did you tell her?” Harry inquired, his curiosity obvious. Tom watched as he put down the purple orchid in the trolley.

“That we’re not.” he answered carefully, watching Harry’s face closely for a reaction. Harry only hummed in response. “Is this enough plants yet? We were supposed to buy plants for you after all…” he asked instead.

“There’s no such thing as enough plants!” Harry protested with a small pout. It was adorable. Tom paused to memorize it before Harry changed facial expression.

“When you don’t know how big my apartment is, there is.” Tom answered. He glanced down in the trolley. “Most of these will be dead within the month.”

“I’ll water them for you.” Harry said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Then he seemed to remember himself and blushed. “Assuming you invite me over.”

“Well, I’ll need help carrying these home…” Tom started with a teasing smile. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find more excuses.”

Harry gave a surprised laugh and beamed at him.   
“I do hope that you’re right. Let's go pay for these then.”

Tom nodded. Perhaps the elder woman was right. Perhaps he was in love. Why else would his chest feel like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm completely ignoring how long time it realistically would take to fall in love, if only because this is Tom and Harry. There's nothing realistic about them. They're a beautiful disaster.
> 
> The purple orchid was basically the first flower I could think of, but I found this meaning for it through a quick google search: "Purple orchids symbolize admiration, respect, dignity and royalty."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did I ever bother marking this as complete?

Tom couldn’t stop staring at Harry, small petite Harry who couldn’t be more than 165 cm tall, and who was carrying five paper bags with plants by himself. Tom was only carrying one, and it had taken him a while to convince Harry to let him do it. He was honestly confused by where Harry was hiding those muscles, and found himself imagining how Harry would look without a shirt. It was only when they stopped in front of his apartment building that Tom got his thoughts in order, which was probably a good thing, considering.

Orion and Abraxas was leaning against the building’s wall, both with cigarette in hand. Tom glanced at Harry, and saw how the boy tensed up. He hadn’t expected Harry to recognize the two, as it had been pretty dark during their vandalization act, but on the other hand, Harry seemed to full of the unexpected. No wonder he was so intrigued and so quick to fall for the boy.

Before Tom could fully realize what was happening, Harry had handed over the five bags with plants to him - and Tom could feel his arms waver because of the weight - and walked straight up to Orion and Abraxas. The sound of a slap resounded, and he watched with fascination as Orion’s head flew to the side right before Abraxas got punched in the face.

“That’s for vandalizing my mini garden.” Harry said, his tone threateningly low. Tom was close to drop the bags he was carrying, more so when what had happened fully sunk in. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. This was it, Harry Potter-Black officially held his heart captured. If this wasn’t love, he didn’t know what it was. Less than 24 hours after their first meeting, and Tom had not quite fallen, he had  _ crashed _ . It was so satisfying that the petite boy was the reason Orion had a hand-shaped mark on his cheek, and Abraxas was clutching his bleeding nose.

“Tom?” Orion asked, most likely confused not only by Harry’s presence but the fact that Tom could barely be seen underneath the bags he were carrying. Harry calmly walked over to him to retrieve the bags. Tom didn’t protest when Harry managed to take the sixth from him as well.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more aroused.” Tom said, loud enough that only Harry could hear it. The blush it resulted in was magnificent.

“I’m still high on adrenaline from punching those two, so if we get up in your apartment before it dies down, there’s a fifty percent chance that I’ll kiss you.” Harry answered, and to Tom’s astonishment managed to shrug gracefully while carrying six bags.

“Fuck.” Tom breathed, and turned towards Orion and Abraxas. “I don’t care what you two are doing here,  _ leave _ . I’ll punish you two for yesterday at a later date.”

Orion and Abraxas exchanged nervous glances before leaving quickly. Tom punched in the code for his building’s door, and held it open for Harry. Harry stopped in front of him and pecked him on the lips.

“There. Now, please tell me you don’t live on the highest floor.” Harry said.

“I don’t live on the highest floor.” Tom answered obediently before he swore under his breath. “I take it back. I do. I can’t think straight. There’s an elevator.”

Harry smirked.   
“I made you flustered twice in one day. Should I be proud of myself?”

“You should get inside the elevator, so that I can get you inside my apartment and make you put down the bags and kiss you senseless.”

“Maybe I’ll kiss you first.” Harry teased, and walked over to the elevator.

“You can try.” Tom answered, and followed. Yes, he was definitely in love, and doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny fiery Harry is the best Harry.
> 
> Also I just really wanted to punch Abraxas in the face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have still known each other for less than 24 hours, this is amazing.

To Tom’s disappointment there was no kissing when they got inside his apartment. Once they had gotten inside Harry became a flurry of activity. The bags were carefully put on the floor, and then Harry was off. Tom stood unsure by the door, and watched as Harry chose plants and pots before disappearing to put them away. He felt as if he should have minded more that Harry disturbed his carefully organized apartment, but instead his heart clenched at the thought that Harry made himself at home. Tom would probably have to invite Harry over simply because he wouldn’t be able to find all the plants on his own. The thought almost made him smile. Just almost.

While Tom stood dumbfounded by the door, Harry finished of by placing the last plant - the purple orchid - on the hallway table that Tom kept a bowl with keys on. Above the table was a mirror that the orchid got reflected in.

“Nice apartment.” Harry commented. Tom finally snapped out of his daze and went to remove his shoes and jacket.

“Thanks. It’s even nicer now that you’re in it.”

“I bet you say that to everyone that you want to kiss.” Harry answered with a laugh.

“No, only to you.” Tom answered, with a charming smile. “Since you treated me to lunch, do you wish to stay for dinner?”

“Well, it would only be fair…” Harry started in a teasing tone. “Yeah. Let’s make it a date.”

“Two dates in one day?” Tom asked, an eyebrow raised in surprise though he he definitely felt pleased with himself. “My my, you’re being forward.”

“I never promised that you would get any.” Harry answered with a cheeky smile and a small shrug.

“Your company is more than good enough.” Tom said. “I wouldn’t say no to a kiss though. Those odds you gave earlier were clearly not in my favor.”

“What about this? If our date goes well, there’s a hundred percent chance that I’ll kiss you, right on the mouth.”

“Those… those are some pretty good odds.” Tom answered. He had to fight against a blush. Harry gave a short, amused laugh.

“Well, mister. It’s still a bit early for dinner. Maybe you should come up with something for us to do.” Harry suggested. Tom blinked, his mind blank. What did one do on a date?

“I’d offer to show you around, but I think you saw everything when you placed the plants. Do you want to watch a movie?” he suggested awkwardly.

“Sure. What do you have?”

“...The Imitation Game?” Tom answered. It was the first movie he could remember that he had. His mind was once again completely blank.

“I’ve never seen it, so okay.” Harry answered.

Almost two hours later, Tom berated himself for not being able to name another movie. Harry was  _ crying _ . He had made Harry cry twice within a day of knowing each other, this was horrible, he needed to fix this. Could he resurrect Alan Turing and give the man a happy end? No, that was unrealistic and would be too much.

“That movie was amazing!” Harry said through his tears, his voice a lot happier than Tom had expected.

“You liked it?” he asked, bewildered.

“It was really good. I love real stories. People who manage to survive things are so impressive, I feel so strongly for them. I mean, other movies are also good, but then you have this overwhelming knowledge that everything is fake. Turing actually did these things! Well, most of it, it’s still a movie so the truth level is probably not a hundred. I’m really sad that his life ended the way it did, but he broke Enigma and saved thousands of people. It’s really good that the movie exist so that more can get to know his story.”

Tom smiled. Harry was really cute when he got enthusiastic about things. The movie had been a good choice after all.

“I’m glad you liked it.” Tom said softly. “Dinner?”

“Are you cooking?” Harry asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

“That’s a good question. I might have forgotten to shop for groceries.” Tom answered, and got up from the sofa. Harry followed him into the kitchen.

“I don’t mind take-out, as long as you pay.” Harry said as Tom opened the fridge.

“That’s good, because I don’t think I can make dinner on a block of cheese and chocolate.”

“Well, if you also have some cream and bread or fruit, we could probably manage to do a fondue.” Harry suggested.

“Maybe another time.” Tom said, and closed his fridge. “Fondue deserves a more romantic setting.”

“Then I vote for take-out, because I doubt cheese and chocolate works together.”

“What do you feel like? Abraxas has recommended me to try out Yard Sale Pizza, and I think they deliver.”

“Pizza is always cool. Do you have a menu?”

“I think so.” Tom answered. He opened a drawer full of take-out menus and looked around for a moment. Then he pulled out a menu and presented it to Harry, who was quick to grab it.

“These sound interesting.” Harry murmured. “Do you wanna split, or?”

“I can share, yeah.”

Harry hummed as an answer.   
“What about half TSB and half Margherita, but with added pepperoni?”

“What’s on a TSB?”

“Tender stem broccoli, manchego cheese, pine nuts and garlic oil. Also, tomato sauce and mozzarella.” Harry read.

“That sounds… interesting?” Tom said questionably. He wasn’t sure if he would take food recommendations from Abraxas any time soon.

“I think it sounds good.” Harry said and handed the menu back. “Call.”

Tom took his phone from his pocket and called the pizza place. A few minutes later the call was over.  
“They’ll be here in a hour.”

Harry hummed.   
“That’s a lot of time. Good.”

“Good?” Tom questioned. Harry smiled, wide enough for his teeth to show, and gripped Tom’s shirt to drag him close.

“Good.” Harry repeated and dragged Tom down for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally couldn't think of one single movie Tom would be likely to own. I had to check my own movies, and just decided on The Imitation Game because it felt the most likely. (Harry's reaction is mine. I cried. It was sad.)
> 
> I have no idea how you make cheese fondue, and I'm 75% that chocolate fondue is more than chocolate and cream. Probably butter too.
> 
> Yard Sale Pizza is real. I did research. They don't deliver to all of London though, but I have no idea where Tom lives either so. (...where did they buy those plants, I wonder.) Also, TSB sounds good. I'm hungry.
> 
> They finally kissed. They barely know each other this is so AU-ish, I can't. I love it and hate it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm procrastinating again. Also, I really felt like I ought to update this.

“I take it that the date is going well?” Tom asked breathlessly when the kiss ended. That had definitely been worth the wait, and he haven’t even waited that long.

“I’d say so, yeah.” Harry answered with a small laugh. He dragged Tom down for a second kiss, their lips mapping each other out with soft movements. This time when the kiss ended, Harry stepped away with a small grin. Tom couldn’t even pretend to be disappointed, it was more than he had expected.

“Please tell me this isn’t a one time kind of thing.” Tom begged.

“It’s not a one time kind of thing.” Harry answered obediently. “I’ll have you know that I don’t go around and kiss just anyone. This is where I leave and don’t look back if you’re only interested in getting in my pants.”

“I’m not only interested in getting in your pants.” Tom answered, horrified at the very thought. “I’m interested in being with you. I don’t- I _never_ connect to people like I’ve connected to you.”

Harry laughed.  
“We’re moving forward fast. Think we’ll be like a tornado, destroying everything in our way?”

“We can, as long as you don’t let me fall.”

“I think I’m the one most worried about falling.” Harry said, the words heavy. Tom was at a loss for what to do.

“I’m not going to let you fall.” he promised blandly. Harry hummed.

“We’re going to be a brilliant tornado, Tom Riddle.”

Tom could only hope that it would be true.

“So.” Harry started. “Any jealous ex-lovers I can expect threats from?"

Tom blinked at the sudden change of topic.  
“Bella isn’t an ex-lover.” he answered dumbly.

“Please tell me you’re not talking about Bellatrix Black.” Harry groaned.

“Sorry.” Tom apologised. “You know her then?”

“She’s my godfather’s cousin.” Harry explained. “She’ll kill me.”

“I won't let her. You’re mine now, and I take care of what’s mine.” Tom vowed.

“I’m only yours if you are mine. I’m no possession.”

“I’m yours.” Tom said. “I’ll ever only be yours for as long as you want me.”

Harry smiled.  
“As I said, a brilliant tornado.”

“You’re not worried about what we’ll destroy?”

“You mean like Bellatrix? Better her than me.” Harry said with a careless shrug.

“You throw a good punch, I don’t think Bella’s that much of a threat.”

“I’m barely 160 cm tall, and she wears decimeter high stiletto heels. She would have the advantage in a catfight.”

“She’d underestimate you.”

“Oh, she would. Doesn’t make her less of a threat.”

“I’ll have to be your knight in shining armor then.”

“I don’t need a knight.” Harry answered with a smile. “I only need someone to hold my flower and cheer me on.”

“I’d ask you what you mean, but you _did_ hand me five bags with plants earlier.” Tom said. “I’m more than happy to hold your flower while you kick ass.”

Harry smiled.  
“There you go. Perfect boyfriend material.”

“We are boyfriends then?” Tom asked. He had hoped, but he didn’t want to assume.

“Fuck yes. Unless you don’t identify as male? Wow, sorry, I should have asked your pronouns like a lot sooner…”

“I’m not identifying as female if that’s what you’re asking..” Tom answered, feeling insecure because of the topic that he didn’t know anything about.

“Okay, sit the fuck down and let me educate your ass.” Harry said in a decisive ‘you-better-do-as-I-say’ tone. Tom obediently sat down on the closest kitchen chair.

Harry started to count on his fingers while he paced back and front before Tom.  
“One, there are more genders than male and female. There’s a fucking spectrum. Two, you don’t have to stay at one end of that spectrum. Most people move around a bit. Three, you can identify as more than one gender or part of a gender. Four, you can identify as no gender or beyond the binary genders. They sound the same, but they’re not. Five, it’s okay to not be sure of your gender, and for your gender to change. Any questions?”

“What genders are there then?” Tom asked. He didn’t completely understand what Harry was talking about, but no gender sounded… right in a way. He did in no way mind being referred to as male, but did he feel male?

“It’s a pretty long list actually… I’ll just go with some of the more known ones. Male and female of course, then there’s agender, non-binary, genderfluid, demigender and bigender. Agender is having no gender, non-binary is a gender beyond the binary spectrum, genderfluid is being fluid between genders - how many depends on the individual, demigender is feeling partly like one gender, and finally, bigender is being two genders or more.”

“How does demigender work?”

“For example, if you identify as male, and partly feel male, but also partly feel like no gender.” Harry explained. “You can be a genderfluid demimale, and differ in strength for how much you feel male and how much you feel agender, either day from day or situation from situation.”

Tom opened and closed his mouth a few times. That definitely sounded _right_. He wanted to tell Harry but he didn’t know how. Harry seemed to have noticed, because he stopped pacing.

“You feel as if I just described you?” Harry asked carefully. Tom nodded. “Okay. Are you demimale or genderfluid demimale?”

“I think… genderfluid demimale?” Tom answered questioningly.

“Okay.” Harry answered with a nod. “That’s completely okay. You’re not uncomfortable with male pronouns?”

“I’m not.” Tom said. He still felt somewhat insecure because of the whole thing, but Harry seemed very knowledgeable.

“Okay. Great.” Harry answered with a big smile. He moved forward and embraced Tom. “I’m proud of you. I’ll help you figure things out if you need it. You’re trans, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re perfectly normal.”

Tom embraced Harry back. The comforting words felt nice, even if he didn’t really need them. He rarely doubted himself. That he now could put how he felt into words didn’t really change anything.

“What about you?” Tom asked carefully.

“I’m non-binary. Don’t worry, I use both he/him and they/them. You can continue referring to me with male pronouns.” Harry answered. “I’d rather be your datemate than your boyfriend though. I… I don’t like the word boy. At all.”

Tom could almost feel Harry’s grimace when he said the word.

“Okay.” Tom said. “You’re my datemate and I’m your boyfriend. It’s good. Everything is good.”

“Yes.” Harry agreed. Tom was about to say something else, because he didn’t do well in situations like this one, when the doorbell rang.

“The pizza is here.” Tom said awkwardly. Harry stepped back so that he could get up from the chair.

“You go get the pizza, and I’ll try to find my way around your kitchen.” Harry said with a smile. Tom nodded, and kissed Harry’s cheek before he went to get the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or Harry very 'tumblr'? Haha.
> 
> I got a review on Percentage on fanfiction.net complaining about that my Harry is always black. Well, Harry is actually white in this one (I never specified actually, but I felt like it. So, now you know.) so I'm going for another sort of representation and making both of them trans in this. Because I can.  
> (Definitely feel free to hit me if I got anything wrong, I decided to just write from memory. I have identified as demigirl, demiboy, agender demiboy, genderfluid agender demiboy... I have finally figured out that genderfluid is the best label for me.)
> 
> If you want a Harry that is black and trans, I have a fic on fanfiction.net called Harrietta Potter: The Boy-Who-Lived. It hasn't actually updated in a few months because I've been working on tons of other stuff, but I'm writing a new chapter for it.
> 
> Also. Hey! I love hearing your ideas for my fics, and I also love getting prompts. If you dig my writing style and want me to write you something, hit me up. Either here, on fanfiction.net (ClarisseSelwyn) or on tumblr (tomarry-riddle).
> 
> And if you're the one in need of an idea, I recommend checking out my Tomarry AU Idea series. There's a link on my tumblr!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We jump a week forward in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't leave you guys with the unanswered question of if they liked the pizza or not.  
> Harry loved it, Tom didn't dislike it, but he definitely let Harry have more of the TSB half.

It was once again Saturday, and Tom was over at Harry’s to hang out. They had been dating for a week, during which they had spent almost all their free time together. They hadn’t made out since the first time in Tom’s kitchen, opting instead to keep it down to imitate gestures. For example, there was a lot of hand-holding. Their hands automatically sought each other out whenever they got close enough. It was… it was nice. The sudden slowness of their relationship had thrown Tom off at first, especially since Harry had compared them to a tornado but it was… nice. Domestic and nice.

He disliked it greatly, perhaps even loathed it, but he couldn’t say so out loud. If he had understood one thing during the past week, then it was that Harry had a past that burdened him. Tom would respect it if Harry wanted to take it slow all of a sudden. They could find other ways to get the rush of new and dangerous. Somehow.

“My godfather texted.” Harry said, dragging Tom from his thoughts.

“What did he-” Tom started to say, when he heard a door slam open downstairs. Someone was taking the staircase two steps at a time if he were correct. A moment later, it was Harry’s bedroom door that slammed open. Tom felt suddenly aware of how close he and Harry was laying, Tom was half-sitting on Harry’s bed, and Harry kept his head on Tom’s stomach. Their hands were intertwined.

“Oh.” The man that had slammed the door open faltered. Tom could definitely see some likeness to Orion, so this was probably Harry’s godfather - or the brother.

“Sirius! I didn’t think you meant now when you texted that you were on your way home.” Harry greeted without lifting his head from Tom’s stomach. _So that was what Harry was going to tell me_ , Tom thought. It was nice to finally have a name - Harry hadn’t actually spoken much about his family during the week,

“Who’s this?” Sirius asked, staring straight at Tom. Harry finally decided to sit up. Tom almost dragged him back down, feeling a sense of loss.

“Sirius, this is my boyfriend.” Harry said, gesturing to Tom. “Tom, this is my godfather.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Tom said, his tone pleasant. “You have a lovely home.”

“How long has this been going on?” Sirius demanded to know, ignoring Tom completely.

“A week.” Harry answered with a shrug.

“A week?! We leave you for a fortnight, and you find yourself a boyfriend?” Sirius asked incredulous. “James would have been so proud of you!”

Tom watched as Harry’s smile faltered. _James? Who was that?_

“I’m sure my dad would have been overjoyed.” Harry deadpanned. _Oh._

“...you may have a point, kiddo.” Sirius admitted. “Good for you though. I’ll just go down and get starting on unpacking. Nice to meet ya, Tom.”

“It was my pleasure.” Tom said awkwardly. This was not what he had been thinking about when he wanted the rush of something new. Hopefully this would not prove to be dangerous. The door slammed once more as Sirius closed it behind him.

“So that was Sirius.” Harry stated. “I was going to warn you…”

“Is he always like that?”

“Most of the time.”

“And his brother?”

“You will like Regulus.” Harry promised. Tom nodded. They looked at the door for a moment before Harry rested his head on Tom’s stomach again.

“HARRY! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MINI GARDEN?!” came a yell through the house a few minutes later. Tom paled.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Harry reminded him softly, and pressed his hand for emphasis.

“I know… but I’m not sure your godfather will agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Sirius. Yeah.
> 
> You may have realized that this have a plot. Congratulations.
> 
> I always welcome suggestions.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Black family dynamics are interesting, that's for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, although you guys might have known that already as I keep writing other things.
> 
> I had to get rid of my anxiety over starting uni somehow, and this fic is very dear to me.

It turned out that Tom worried as nothing.

Sirius had stormed right back into Harry’s bedroom after he asked about the damaged minigarden, and had demanded a detailed explanation. Tom, trying to salvage whatever impression Harry’s godfather could have of him, told the story of how Orion wanted to vandalize the Weasleys’ house and ended up completely wrong. He had barely had enough time to mention Orion before Sirius was up again, making a sound that sounded suspiciously like growling.

“Is he always like this?” Tom asked quietly as Sirius ran down the stairs. Harry nuzzled his head against Tom’s stomach.

“Not always. Mostly when his relatives are involved.”

“...how are they related, anyway? Orion and Sirius?”

“I have no idea. It’s one of the Black mysteries, as Sirius calls it. I know Sirius and Regulus’ has three cousins; Bellatrix sadly included, because of their uncle. Then there’s aunt Lucretia, who is very lovely. Funnily enough, she is married to Ignatius Prewett, making her Molly Weasley’s aunt as well. I can only guess that Orion is not related to Lucretia if he has something against the Weasleys as Blacks are supposed to value family, but what do I know. I almost wish there was a family tapestry, but alas the tradition is outdated.” Harry ended his not-quite answer with a dramatic sigh. Tom smiled fondly. He should not feel fond after a mere week of dating, but considering that he had fell in love within a day of meeting Harry…

“It’s a very interesting family history nonetheless. Do you know anything about the Potter family tree?”

Harry suddenly sat up,ignoring Tom’s question.  
“We should probably go stop Sirius before he kills Orion.”

“It wouldn’t be too much of a loss…” Tom answered, frustrated with how obvious Harry was in avoiding his question.

“I doubt that Sirius knows how to clean up a murder, Tom.” Harry answered. The answer very much implied that Tom supposedly had this knowledge; he didn't offer up any protest.

“I doubt he has left; judging from his entrance I can only assume that we would have hear the door.”

The sound of the front door slamming open interrupted Harry’s answer. He ended up giving a shrug instead of saying anything.

“Maybe he remembered that he need a weapon.”

“...should Regulus not have stopped him?” Tom asked awkwardly, remembering the third inhibant of the house. Harry gave a short laugh at the question. It sounded cruel; it did not fit the image of Harry that Tom had came to worship. He studied the shorter male; Harry’s back was turned towards him and the petite body seemed momentarily tense, as if Harry was lost in thought. Tom barely had chance to begin feeling worried for his datemate before Harry’s lines relaxed again.

“Not even Regulus can stop Sirius when he’s in a mood. We should still try though.” Harry said, although the words felt out of place after the awkward pause that the laugh had resulted in.

“I’d be more inclined to help him.” Tom mumbled. He did not feel like the punishment that he had given Orion and Abraxas earlier in the week was enough; the minigarden was still not back to its former glory. He could admit that murder was perhaps a bit too much, but it was very reluctantly that he would voice those thoughts.  
“You don’t have to give Orion a warning.” Harry suggested. “We just need to stop a murder from happening.”

Tom broke out in a brilliant smile. He lifted their still intertwined hands to press a kiss against Harry’s knuckles.

“Then shall we, my Persephone?”

“We shall. I do not think you would make a very convincing Hades though.”

Tom laughed as he stood from the bed and helped Harry to his feet. He didn’t mention that he made for a much more convincing Thanatos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how much you guys know about the Black family, but in canon, Orion is Lucretia's brother. In this? Who even knows. Sirius and Regulus' mother is still Walburga, if anyone was curious.
> 
> I got a tumblr just for writing! So check clarisselwyn.tumblr.com for fic updates and my current projects, or to just send me prompts.  
> My main tumblr is a lot of hp, and a lot of tomarry, and it also takes prompts, and my brilliant url is agendertomriddle
> 
> Comments feed authors, suggestions feed imaginatio


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Black family dynamics continue to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't abandon stories - I only put them on very unplanned hiatuses.
> 
> Been updating more of my less serious stories lately, because I haven't really been able to write much since 2017 started. Not for a lack of wanting to, just. Mental health issues and some real life stuff.
> 
> I started the last chapter with anxiety over uni, so if anyone's interested, I'm starting my second year at uni in about a month. I also ended chapter 6 with saying that I'm genderfluid, but well, I'm back at identifying as demiboy, so if you're interested in using my pronouns, I go by they/him.

When they got downstairs, it turned out that the door had been slammed shut instead of slammed open, as a man - that Tom only could assume was Regulus - was keeping Sirius from leaving. Sirius had dramatically fallen to his knees and was looking up at Regulus with what could only be described as the most ridiculous puppy eyes that Tom had ever seen. He glanced at Harry, only to see his datemate roll his eyes at the scene in front of them.

“Does this happen a lot?” Tom asked. It really looked more like a scene from a movie more than something that would actually happen in real life.

“You get used to it,” Harry answered with an easy shrug. “I really didn’t expect Sirius to be stopped this time tho.”

“It might be for the better that he doesn’t murder Orion,” Tom mumbled, though he still had second thoughts about it.

Regulus chose that moment to look up at them. The skin under his eyes was dark, and he looked exhausted. Tom assumed it had something to do with visiting relatives and Sirius; in his experience, no members of the Black family should be together for too long, and Sirius definitely seemed full of energy.

“Harry. What is going on?” Regulus asked. It sounded a lot as a greeting, except for the slight impatience, especially as Regulus gestured towards Sirius.

“Orion came over in the middle of the night about a week ago, drunk, and wrecked our backyard together with his friend Abraxas. My mini garden was completely destroyed. Tom,” Harry paused long enough to jam his thumb in Tom’s direction. “-apologised for them; they weren’t even in the right backyard. Then he stayed and helped me clean. Now we’re dating. Oh, and I slapped Orion and punched Abraxas in the face the next day.”

“And Sirius?”

“Oh, he saw the still damaged mini garden and thought murdering Orion would be in order.”

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose and looked back down at Sirius, who had abandoned the puppy eyes by now.

“We haven’t been home for five minutes, and it sounds like Orion has already gotten what he deserved. For now. Go unpack, and then we can discuss a more cultivated revenge plan than straight up murder.”

“You were right,” Tom said to Harry, his voice low. “I do like him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the shortest chapter yet but it's almost 4 am and it was mainly a filler to sum up what has happened until now, and to introduce Regulus.
> 
> I make absolutely no promises for when the next chapter is. I'm trying to focus on my new fic, a Harry Potter/Be More Chill/Dear Evan Hansen crossover, and on my two other crack fics that haver more plot than this (Riddle's Evil Inc. and the fault of boredom).
> 
> As for tumblr, my writing one is still clarisselwyn, but my main is now called havsgast.
> 
> And comments definitely helps is anyone wants quicker updates.


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